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As the skies turn overcast and the air has a chilly bite to it, many people tuck their sunglasses away for the oncoming winter months. Tsk, tsk, tsk!
Visit VSP Active to learn why UV protection is important – even on overcast and cloudy days.
Parker, from the Coach Eyewear Collection
Popular lifestyle blog BlissTree is conducting a giveway contest featuring the latest Coach sunglasses! Six winners will be selected and entry is simple. Visit the BlissTree VSP Vision Care Coach Giveaway for all the details.
Sara P. is an account executive for Altair Eyewear.
Everyone here is talking about the new VSP site seemuchmore.com. I’ve spent a great deal of time on there clicking every moving object, answering poll questions, and cruising around making sure I haven’t missed a single image, quote or fact. My favorite graphic is the hot air balloon with the money that drops down, because after all, who doesn’t want money dropping from the sky? I decided chronicling my journeys on the site would be a good way to highlight just a few of the things that caught my attention. And, maybe, inspire YOU to check it out too!
August 18, 2009: First look at seemuchmore.com. I was immediately intrigued by the color scheme, graphics and the concept behind the site. I watched the dad and son graphic for a few minutes, then clicked into the site. The plane image with the “See Eye Care Tips” banner was practically screaming to be clicked first, so I succumbed and my attention was immediately caught by the tip that popped up: “Wear sunglasses when exercising outdoors to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.”
Patti S. is a member of VSP's Ophthalmic Services team
This is not a treatise on the benefits of the natural feeding of human infants, but rather the first installment of a two-part post containing my ideas of what constitutes optical nirvana when filling your child’s ophthalmic lens prescription. Well, maybe only fools like me achieve anything close to nirvana when considering the composition of the ultimate pair of lenses given the needs of the recipient. Having children of my own and obviously working in this esteemed industry, I have developed a vast array of opinions over the years. I am about to share a few more with you.
Before approaching your optician, bear in mind that lens material is the first consideration you must think about. I was going to say “should,” but I think “must” fits the bill far more accurately in this case. You want to provide an impact resistant (note the italics) material. There are no ophthalmic lens materials, of which I am aware, that are impact proof, just resistant, and that is a relative term. Two readily available materials spring to mind and will do so for nearly anyone concerned with children’s vision and eyewear. These are polycarbonate and Trivex. Both of these materials will not only provide your child with safer lenses than standard plastic (don’t even think about glass), but they will be lighter in weight and possibly thinner, depending on the correction. So, poly (in optical nerd jargon) and Trivex are a done deal. Consider this bit of advice indispensable law.
Patti S. is a member of VSP's Ophthalmic Services division.
Real sunglasses are more than just darkly tinted lenses in a cool frame. Although these types of glasses may serve a function in terms of fashion and diminished light transmission, they are not sufficient, in my opinion, to act as genuine protective sunwear.
Truly protective sunwear should, at a minimum, include a tint with ultra-violet [UV] protection. Many materials, (e.g., polycarbonate), naturally absorb harmful UV rays and don’t require an additional coating. Tinted lenses, however, don’t reduce the disturbing affects of glare—they just reduce light transmission.
Polarized lenses do decrease glare and are an indispensable feature I want when buying my own sunglasses. Glare is created when light bounces off a surface. The more reflective a surface, the more glare is produced. A wet road produces more distracting and interfering glare than a dry one, but both surfaces do reflect light. Glare actually interferes with your vision and can obscure images, like children playing in the street or the rear bumper of the car you’re following.
Polarized lenses can be likened to microscopic venetian blinds for your eyes. They actually contain a filter that’s embedded with iodine crystals stretched so that they are oriented in one direction. When rotated correctly prior to insertion into your frame, they reduce visual interference from glare created from light bouncing off horizontal surfaces by preventing those scattered rays from reaching your eyes. Fishermen love them because they allow them to see into the water, not merely the bright reflection off the water.
There are many lens options you can add to polarized lenses, including anti-reflective coatings, variable tints, and a variety of colors. They are also available in almost any multi-focal or single vision design. Polarized lenses are more expensive than simple tinted lenses, but they serve a vital function in terms of your health and comfort as well as your own and others’ safety.
